{"id":232634,"date":"2025-10-22T14:18:24","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T14:18:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/232634\/"},"modified":"2025-10-22T14:18:24","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T14:18:24","slug":"chris-scott-bristles-at-suggestions-geelong-are-struggling-to-manage-bailey-smith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/232634\/","title":{"rendered":"Chris Scott bristles at suggestions Geelong are struggling to manage Bailey Smith"},"content":{"rendered":"

Geelong<\/a> coach Chris Scott has bristled at suggestions his club is struggling to handle the off-field behaviour of star midfielder Bailey Smith.<\/a><\/p>\n

Smith has courted controversy several times in his first 12 months at the Cattery, particularly since verbally abusing a photographer<\/a> at a training session the week after Geelong\u2019s qualifying final win in September.<\/p>\n

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Chris Scott defends Bailey Smith amid Origin plans.<\/p>\n

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today \"Download<\/a><\/p>\n

The AFL\u2019s more recent concerns around how unpredictable the 24-year-old has been with his social media use.<\/p>\n

He has been forced to delete multiple offensive Instagram posts, including some directed towards respected journalist Caroline Wilson and former Herald Sun writer Mark Robinson.<\/p>\n

Cats chief executive Steve Hocking last week received a letter from the AFL\u2019s legal counsel<\/a>, who declared Smith was on his final warning, and risks fines or a suspension if he crosses the line again.<\/p>\n

But Scott insists there is no major problem.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe think, while it\u2019s imperfect at the moment, it\u2019s in a pretty good spot. I wouldn\u2019t fret too much if I were you,\u201d Scott said of Smith\u2019s behaviour on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\"BaileyBailey Smith\u2019s post on Mark Robinson. Credit: Instagram<\/p>\n

Scott admitted he had hardly spoken to Smith since the end of the season, making clear that he is \u201cvery conscious of respecting the players\u2019 privacy and desire to get away\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe almost wear it as a badge of honour that we don\u2019t consider our role as one of ownership of our players \u2014 that\u2019s just not the way we think about the world,\u201d Scott said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut there is an expectation that we will work together hopefully as much as possible as peers to continually get better.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hesitate to bring that sort of stuff up because it does give the impression that it amplifies the current situation to a point where I don\u2019t think it is.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t control what others might choose to amplify, but what I would say is we\u2019re really confident that it\u2019s in a really good spot.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if you separate out the off-field issues … and if we think through how the last 12 months have gone with Bailey, it\u2019s been an outrageous success. Outrageous.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot perfect, but if you are privy to some of the information with a whole range of our players, I think it\u2019s likely that that\u2019s going to be a similar sort of description, that some bits have gone really, really well, and there are other bits that we\u2019ve got to nudge and manage a little bit, but that\u2019s all it is.<\/p>\n

\u201cI refuse to buy into the idea that there\u2019s major work to be done. I just don\u2019t believe that to be true.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GeelongGeelong coach Chris Scott was thrilled with Bailey Smith’s first season with the Cats. Credit: AAP<\/p>\n

Scott has always publicly defended his players, and again refused to condemn Smith for his post-season antics after being pressed on the issue following his announcement as Victoria\u2019s State of Origin coach.<\/p>\n

But the dual premiership coach did acknowledge he was relieved Cats players would no longer be dressing up for Mad Monday.<\/p>\n

Mitch Brown, the first male AFL player to come out as bisexual, and Wilson both took offence at Smith\u2019s posts during the post-grand final celebrations.<\/p>\n

Even before the AFL\u2019s letter, Hocking admitted his post relating to Wilson was \u201ccompletely unacceptable\u201d and that the club would speak to Smith about his behaviour.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t live in that social media world,\u201d Scott said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe big win for me, personally, over the last few weeks is that the players aren\u2019t dressing up for Mad Monday anymore. I\u2019ve never been a fan of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I don\u2019t think Steve Hocking (likes it), he\u2019s not that type of guy. (Geelong head of footy) Andrew Mackie\u2019s certainly not<\/p>\n

\u201cBut hopefully it sort of explains a little bit what we think of the world. Just because I don\u2019t like it doesn\u2019t mean that I should impose my will on the rest of the players.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost controversies, at least from good people, pop up when an attempt at humour falls flat, and I think that\u2019s what these sort of things are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"BaileyBailey Smith, Max Holmes and Patrick Dangerfield have come under fire along with Brad Close (not pictured). Credit: Instagram<\/p>\n

It was Max Holmes who dressed up as Wilson during the post-season celebrations, though he wasn\u2019t the one who made the posts.<\/p>\n

Scott pointed out that Holmes has harmlessly dressed up as SEN\u2019s Gerard Whateley and 7NEWS Melbourne\u2019s Mitch Cleary in the two years prior to Wilson.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey did tell me that Max has dressed up as a journalist for three years in a row,\u201d Scott said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is one where I assume good intent, but sometimes you can be well intentioned and try to make a gag that either falls flat or crosses the line.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it\u2019s the expense of someone else, I think you should think hard about it, and that\u2019s probably what we\u2019re talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n

– With AAP<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Bailey Smith hit with \u2018final warning\u2019 in fresh drama<\/p>\n

2 min read<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Bailey Smith deletes social media posts again in fresh drama<\/p>\n

4 min read<\/p>\n

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